Items Tagged ‘California’
Sand Studios and Residence
Project Name:
Sand Studios and ResidenceLocation:
San Francisco, California, USACompletion Date:
May 2009Original Use(s):
warehouseNew Use(s):
office, residence, galleryProject Description:
History
Built in 1943 as part of the redevelopment of South Park into a light industrial area, the warehouse was utilized for a number of decades.[1] South Park had originally been created 1852 as an exclusive residential district in San Francisco. The area began to “decline” after the construction of Second Street opened the area to a wider demographic. This resulted in the wealthy residents moving to Nob Hill in the late 19th century. Much of the neighborhood was destroyed during the earthquake of 1906. This vacant land then found a new purpose as a light industrial district.[2]
(Re)Developer
Larissa and Jeff Sand purchased the warehouse in 2003 to relocate their family and business Sand Studios. Larissa is a designer who studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, while her husband, Jeff, is an industrial designer.[3] Their firm, Sand Studios, combines minimalist design with material expression, refined details and atmospheric lighting.
Outcome
The warehouse was saved from demolition when a development company planning to replace the building with new condominiums had lost its financing. Larissa saw the opportunity to reuse the structure and provide a new home for her family and business after a fire forced them out of their previous location. The 8,500-square-foot masonry-and-timber post-and-beam structure is located on a 3,730-square-foot corner lot just one block from the neighborhood’s oval park. The three story structure was divided into the family’s residence on the top floor, the studio office on the second floor, and the studio’s machine shop on the ground floor. The ground floor also now includes a 2,500-square-feet gallery space that may be used to rent out for retail uses in the future.
Ample skylights and windows provide plenty of daylight and natural ventilation. Larissa focused on reusing as many of the original building materials in the renovation. Any elements that needed to be replaced were accomplished through natural and/or recycled materials. A central two-story atrium was added to bring light into the 7-foot-10-inch-high office and allows workers to observe the shop below.
“The Sand Studios restoration project is a welcome addition to a neighborhood that has survived natural and economic catastrophes and struggles to overcome myriad new real estate developments. With its side doors rolled open, the building emits the lively sounds of buzzing machines and friendly banter. Activity animates the place day and night. The Sands have not only revived a spot that might have become another generic condo, they’ve infused it with a spirit of innovation, rehabilitation, and reuse that embodies San Francisco’s history of enterprise and recovery.”[4]
[1]Architectural Record
[2]Wikipedia
[3]Architectural Record
[4]Architectural Record
Images courtesy of Kenneth Probst.
Goodbye Garmentos, Hello Artists
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Goodbye Garmentos, Hello ArtistsLocation:
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Rafi Shaoulian has a plan to convert the 14-story Corporation Building in downtown Los Angeles into affordable space for artists. The building originally served as a bank tower but in recent years has been home to garment manufacturers. Its location on Gallery Row however has the partnership that owns the tower seeing greater value it opening up the tower to artists. The adaptive reuse of the building will be a slow process, as the partnership will convert vacant space into studios and office space for creative users. This will be one of the few former office towers in the Historic Core targeting creative uses – the Spring Arts Tower being the only other example. With most floors being completely open, raw, and offering 4,700-square-foot blocks, the owners see the potential of tenants requesting entire floors. New artists tenants could start moving in as early as May. “The project represents someting of an experiment for Shaoulian and his investor partners. If successful, he said, it could lead to similar conversions at other Downtown properties they own.”
University Eyes Old UC Printing Plant For New Art Museum
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University Eyes Old UC Printing Plant For New Art MuseumLocation:
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Berkeley Art Musem/Pacific Film Archive had been planning on building a brand new home for the museum. Those plans however have been put away. The group is now considering adapting the old UC Printing Plant for its new location. “Built in 1939, the plant printed the original signatory copies of the UN Charter in 1945 for the UN conference in San Francisco. The building was designated a Berkeley landmark in 2004.” UC Berkeley had previously considered tearing down the building and constructing another museum at the location but the state of the economy ended those plans. The reuse of the building will help to conserve resources and land that may have otherwise been used for a new building while also helping to enliven the downtown area in which it’s located.
Council Considers Building Moratorium
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Council Considers Building MoratoriumLocation:
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The St. Helena City Council is considering placing a building moratorium on some new construction projects in the city. The action is in response to the city’s need to rewrite one of its housing laws and adopt its new General Plan. The move is driven by two factors: a recent California court decision that affects the city’s affordable housing laws and the ongoing General Plan Update. The moratorium may help to spur adaptive reuse of vacant buildings in the city as these types of project will not be affected by the block.
Santa Monica Conservancy to Present Awards for Historic Preservation
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Santa Monica Conservancy to Present Awards for Historic PreservationLocation:
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The Santa Monica Conservancy a number of awards at its annual meeting on January 23, 2010, to local individuals, organizations and businesses for preservation projects. The awards include two items for adaptive reuse. The Adaptive Reuse Award (Residential) recognizes the creative achievement of Stephen Chao, owner of 211 Alta (formerly the La Palama Bungalow Court), for converting a multi-unit craftsman bungalow courtyard complex into a single family home, preserving its exterior architecture and streetscape presence. For adaptive reuse of a commercial property, Red Bull North America, Inc., at 1740 Stewart St., will receive an award for transforming a vintage industrial building, originally used for manufacturing, into a unique and imaginative corporate headquarters.
Extreme Green Makeover: Cool Example of Adaptive Reuse
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Extreme Green Makeover: Cool Example of Adaptive ReuseLocation:
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LPA Inc. has converted an underutilized industrial building near the John Wayne Airport in Irvine, CA. Now the Koll Airport Professional Center, it is now a sustainability-minded professional office complex. The building has received LEED Silver certification and offers flexibility and affordability in a series of sustainably designed office suites. The reuse of the building offers a convenient office location as well as underground parking and public transportation access. Prime parking spaces have been allocated for fuel-efficient vehicles. As for the structure, 76 percent of existing exterior walls and structural elements were reused.
The Bay Line
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The Bay LineLocation:
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Architect and professor Ronald Rael looks at the potential of reusing the eastern section of the James “Sunny Jim” Rolph Bridge (the Bay Bridge) in San Francisco/Oakland. A new bridge is currently under construction, leaving the current use of the Bay Bridge with limited days. Rael advocates repurposing the bridge (and other abandoned bridges in the US) as “possible sites for sustainable urban housing and linear parks.” Going beyond the High Line in New York City, Rael’s vision incorporates a linear park, housing, cultural activities (theatres, retail, museums), sporting facilities (tennis courts, climbing walls, skate parks) and numerous wildlife (orchards, gardens, meadows).
The full project submission can be viewed here.
KLofts
Project Name:
KLoftsLocation:
San Diego, California, USACompletion Date:
2005Original Use(s):
Circle K convenience store and gas stationNew Use(s):
low-income affordable housingProject Description:
History
The KLoft site and structure originally served the San Diego community as a Circle K convenience store and gas station. Situated in the Golden Hill neighborhood, this area has recently been experiencing significant gentrification after years deterioration.
(Re)Developer
Private developer and architect Jonathan Segal purchased the site to help further revitalize the neighborhood. Segal proposed an apartment complex with a street-level garage and a small commercial/retail space.[1] KLofts was designed with a participatory design process creating positive connections between and among residents, community stakeholders, local government officials and civic groups.
Outcome
The design outcome provides a building with public and private space that enhances human scale and further promotes social interaction, shared use of space, defensible space to help revitalize this deteriorating community while at the same time enhancing the community’s physical fabric. The project was built at a cost of $82/sf and utilized no governmental subsidy. KLofts is a collection of simple architectural forms collaged to create a nine unit loft building on a 9,000 square foot urban property. The former Circle K convenience store and gas station were saved and integrated into the new design to minimize the deconstruction and make adaptive reuse of the existing building. The modern building integrates urban living environments for a mixture of very low income (50% of median income) affordable and market rate rental units with each unit containing large private outdoor spaces and oversize glazing. The sustainable project provides 50% renewable electricity and a unit set aside for very low income families. The architect/developer worked closely with the community for nine months to ensure a project that is well received by the neighborhood and provides needed affordable housing in San Diego.[2]
[1]Architectural Record
[2]jonathan segal architect
Images courtesy of jonathan segal architect.
Going for Broke
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Going for BrokeLocation:
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While the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance may have helped spur residential development in downtown LA, the economic downturn has brought a new set of problems. There are currently eight projects in bankruptcy, though these are recently completed or nearing completion. The issue is two-fold: large amount of supply, economic recession.